8X

Firstly, here’s a LAURA limerick. While you’re over there, check out limericking king Hilary Barta’s rhymes, many of which sport titles by myself. And here’s my latest, on that naughty scene in THE BIG COMBO.

Secondly, as some of you have already discovered, I’m contributing an essay (a MASSIVE essay) to the forthcoming Criterion box-set of Pierre Etaix movies (for pronunciation clue, see title of this blog post). The set also features cover art by the man himself, an accomplished graphic artist (he designed Tati’s silhouette as used in Hulot publicity material from MON ONCLE on) — as my editor at Criterion points out, it’s a very sweet image: the clown is presenting his films to the world.

Rather than seeing Etaix as a sort of satellite of Tati, I see him as the missing link between Jerry Lewis (a friend and collaborator) and Woody Allen (and admirer). The set is available for pre-order and is HIGHLY recommended. Unseen in decades, the films reach out to greet you like old friends.

Le Soupirant is the most accessible entry point… unless it’s Le Grand Amour. Yoyo might be more challenging — but every bit as worthwhile. I’d say, if you buy the set, watch them in order, starting with the shorts. Then you get the whole arc.

Oh, Michael Winner… who will the BBC get to speak about him now that he isn’t around to do it? Their website leads with “Death Wish Director Dies,” which is rather grotesque.